Seventy-three percent of voters surveyed said they supported “enacting the toughest assault weapons ban in the country, including banning any ammunition magazine that has more than 7 bullets.” That includes 60 percent of upstate respondents, 58 percent of self-identified Republican or conservative respondents. Not surprisingly, the poll found 87 percent of New York City residents surveyed supported such a statement.

A poll of Long Islanders commissioned last week by Newsday found 74 percent of registered voters — and 71 percent of self-identified Republicans — in Nassau and Suffolk counties supported a broader assault weapons definition. I took this as an explanation why eight of the nine Republican senators from Long Island voted for the bill. (The last one, Lee Zeldin, missed the vote due to military service but said he’d vote no.)

“While this poll was conducted prior, during and after Cuomo’s gun proposal was made public and enacted, New Yorkers – who view the NRA unfavorably by a 57-36 percent margin – overwhelmingly support the ban on assault weapons and nearly unanimously support increasing penalties for purchasing illegal guns and using guns on school grounds,” poll spokesman Steve Greenberg said. “Having armed guards in schools is opposed by a narrow majority, although it is supported by a majority of Republicans, upstaters and voters under 35 years old. Strong majorities of voters from every region and party – less strongly by Republicans and upstaters – oppose training and arming teachers.”

Let me reiterate: this poll was NOT a direct survey of the gun control package that was passed. Siena’s telephone surveys of the 676 registered voters was ended Tuesday — as members of the State Assembly were debating the new gun control measure. So it’s fair to assume that at least some respondents heard news reports about the bill, which first broke in Monday morning’s papers, and with greater detail in the middle of Monday onward.

The survey also found Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, was viewed favorably by 71 percent of voters surveyed and 60 percent said they approved of the job he’s doing. These numbers are strong, and in line with previous months.